1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an inkjet recording method and an inkjet recording device.
2. Description of the Related Art
Inkjet recording methods have been broadly used recently, because the inkjet recording methods are advantageous in that color images can be easily recorded, and running costs are low. However, the inkjet recording methods have a problem that defective images (including blurred character images) are easily formed depending on combinations of a recording ink and a recording medium, which greatly deteriorates image quality. For example, when coated papers which are used for commercial printing or publication printing and which contain a filler such as calcium carbonate and kaolin in their coat layers (hereinafter may be referred to as “commercial printing papers”) are used as recording media, there may be caused problems that images are seriously blurred, and image density is seriously low. The reasons for the problems are considered as follows. Specifically, the commercial printing papers cannot absorb a large amount of ink in a short time unlike inkjet recording papers, so that the ink is not rapidly absorbed, leading to a blurred image. In addition, even when the ink penetrates into the coat layer, a filler having a high hiding property (such as kaolin) in the coat layer hides a color of the penetrated ink. Therefore, the commercial printing papers have been considered to be entirely unsuitable for inkjet printing.
As for recording inks, pigment inks in which fine pigment particles are dispersed in water have attracted attention. Since pigments used for the pigment inks are similar in composition to colorants of inks used for icy commercial printing, it is expected that the pigment inks can form images having texture similar to that of images formed on the commercial printing papers. However, even when the pigment inks are used for recording on the commercial printing papers, there are caused problems that the ink is not rapidly absorbed to thereby cause a blurred image; that the pigments are not fixed to the coated papers after drying; and that glossy images cannot be formed.
Accordingly, there has been proposed an inkjet recording method using a combination of a pigment ink having a high penetrability and a recording medium having a low ink absorbability (see Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open (JP-A) No. 2007-144975).
In addition, there has been proposed an inkjet printer in which a heat roller is provided as a drying assisting unit in order to improve a drying property and fixability of a printed surface immediately after printing (see Japanese Patent (JP-B) No. 2860123).
Further, there has been proposed an inkjet printer which forms a protective layer by applying a UV varnish which is solidified through application of UV light in order to protect a paper surface which is decreased in scratch resistance due to pigments remaining thereon (see JP-A No. 2004-330568).